Some characters—real or animated—of the advertising world end up becoming cultural icons, like the Amul girl, Vodafone’s zoo zoo, or the sun in the Sunfeast ads. These mascots turn ads into pop culture moments. Murthy, the face of Voltas, tried to do the same but never quite captured the cultural imagination.
Played by DV Vivek, Murthy has been a cornerstone of Voltas’ advertising for years.
Introduced in 2012, he was portrayed as a mild-mannered, middle-class South Indian man frequently transferred across India—a narrative that allowed the scriptwriter to highlight the versatility of Voltas as an ‘All Weather AC’. Each advertisement placed Murthy in a new city. Murthy wasn’t just selling an air conditioner. Instead, he was selling peace of mind — in unpredictable surroundings — to Indian men. And yet, the audience can’t connect with him like they do with other brand mascots.
While he became synonymous with Voltas, his influence remained confined within the brand’s narrative, lacking the broader cultural impact. This limitation may be attributed to the campaigns’ focus on product features, which sort of prevented deeper audience engagement and long-term brand recall. Even in the latest ads, released in 2024, Murthy’s role is all about explaining the features of the product using the crutch of relatable personal problems. His broken Hindi, echoing Bollywood’s tired South Indian caricature, feels dated rather than endearing—and doesn’t quite land with the audience.
Weather, wife, wit
Over the years, Murthy’s story has travelled all over the country. One day, he would pop up from Rajasthan, where he would be battling the dust, the next day he would be handling the humid chaos of Chennai, and then the bitter cold of Delhi winters.
Then, the writers added Mrs Murthy to the plot—turning the ads into slice-of-life episodes that families could relate to. Mrs Murthy’s character feels like she’s been scripted by an Indian uncle who loves roasting his wife in WhatsApp groups. She’s predictable and stereotyped. The Voltas AC becomes Murthy’s saviour, against the weather and his angry wife both.
“Murthy Rajasthan mai raj karta. Par aaj no raj. Jab bahar aandhi uthta, toh andar Meenakshi toofan ban jata. Kabhi table se ladta.. Kabhi curtain se. The fighter with the duster. To stop the storm, press on,” he said while switching on the Voltas AC.
Then his father-in-law enters the picture, and the sarcastic shots are fired from both sides.
Credit where credit is due, the Murthy family dealing with everyday situations, such as hosting guests or managing household comfort, gave the brand a canvas to showcase their product’s features, like energy efficiency and consistent cooling. These ads also addressed the common consumer concerns, such as electricity bills. And it positioned Voltas as a thoughtful and customer-centric brand.
The scripts were to the point. And the attention never deviated from Voltas AC. Murthy remained a reliable narrator but never evolved.
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The comeback
Murthy returned to Voltas ads after six years in 2024 to promote Voltas’ new line of SmartAir ACs, with the campaign, ‘Shor Kam, Kaam Zyada’. Murthy keeps his cool while tolerating his talkative brother-in-law, emphasising the striking contrast between him and the noiseless Voltas ACs.
The new ads racked up millions of views and likes on YouTube, but the stats didn’t quite translate into lasting cultural impact.
While Murthy successfully conveyed the brand’s value propositions, the campaigns’ limited scope in character development curtailed his potential as a brand icon.
So, when a Voltas ad appears, it might catch your attention for a moment, but it’s quickly forgotten. Much like the brand itself, Murthy fades into the background—out of sight, out of mind.
Views are personal.
(Edited by Ratan Priya)